Siliguri: I-League winners Dempo ousted reigning Federation Cup champions Salgaocar with a clinical 2-0 victory to set up a summit clash with East Bengal, here on Friday.
Dempo scored through Joaquim Abranches (73rd) and Koko Sakibo (85th) after a goalless first-half as their Goan rivals were reduced to 10 men in the final few minutes in the second semifinal at the floodlit Kanchenjungha Stadium here.
From a right flank counter-attack, Abranches found the back of the net with a powerful right-footer to give Dempo the lead.
There was then a fine display by Sakibo that took the game away from the Karim Bencherifa-coached side.
Sakibo was tackled inside the box by Luciano Sabrosa but with an inside dribble and turning around, the former unsettled the Salgaocar defender who fell down in the bargain.
Sakibo was quick to slot it home to put the ball past Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh for a 2-0 lead.
The most successful team of the I-League, Dempo do not enjoy a similarly proud record in the Federation Cup, winning it only once, in Bangalore 2004, which is remembered for the tragic death of their Brazilian forward Cristiano Junior.
Dempo will take on the last year’s runners-up East Bengal in the summit match on Sunday. (PTI)
